Facsimile is a well-established and standard method for communication of hard copy information. The more common data link for facsimile uses traditional phone wires, and most facsimile machines can be attached directly to the telephone network. In many countries around the world, installation of permanent phone lines is slow and expensive and wireless mobile telephone infrastructure has substantially replaced traditional phone service. Data rates on wireless lines have been lower than rates on traditional telephone lines but new, third-generation (3G) wireless technologies are being deployed that deliver higher data rates than either traditional telephone wire or basic digital wireless telephone systems. Perhaps because they have more competition, wireless telephone service providers often offer different pricing models than traditional phone service providers—pricing that may include free or reduced rate long-distance calls. Such free or reduced rate long-distance calls would be attractive for consumers and businesses that send/receive a large number of facsimiles. Although adapters (for example, the Phonecell® SX5e Fixed Wireless Terminal from Telular Corporation) are available in the market that bridge standard facsimile machines to wireless networks, they are costly and not widely available. In addition, there is no simple means to connect a printer or all-in-one device lacking facsimile functionality to operate on a wireless telephone network and provide built-in facsimile operations.
All-in-one devices (also called multi-function devices or MFDs) integrate scanning and copying functionality into a printer and may or may not include standalone facsimile functionality. Most of the lower cost all-in-one devices are host-based as they require attachment to a host computer that provides processing and control for copying and facsimile functions. It is desired to have a wireless adapter that incorporates facsimile functionality to enable supported all-in-one devices and printers to serve as facsimile machines on wireless telephone networks.